Improvement in machines for sewing or working button-holes



C- E. ROBINSON. Machine for Making Button Holes.

Patented Jan y 3 *4 L1 as hmmumo m, Wuhinmon. I11;

my a.

N. PETERS. Pharwutho n hw. Washington. 0 c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GHARLESE. ROBINSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT lN MACHINES FOR SEWING 0R WORKING BUTTON-HOLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 110,790, dated January3, 1871.

To all persons to whom these presents may come Be it known that I,CHARLES E. ROBINSON, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State ofMassachusetts, have made a new and useful invention having reference toMachinery for Making Button-Holes; and I do hereby declare the same tobe fully described in the following specification, and represented inthe accompanying drawing, of which- Figure l denotesa side elevation ofa machine for making button-holes as provided with myinvention. Fig. 2is a top View of the machine, the upper needle-carrier, its arm andsupporting-frame being represented as broken off in order to moreclearly exhibit my invention, the cloth-clamp being shown as open. Fig.3 is a bottom View of the machine containing my improvement; Fig. 4, anend view, showing that portion of my invention located underneath thetable. Fig. 5 is an under-side view of the feed-clamp, showing theirregular gear, to be hereinafter described. Fig. 6 is a vertical andtransverse section taken through the driving-cam, the ratchet, and itsactuating-lever. Fig. 7 is a side view of the shipper-lever and itsadjustable stop as detached. Fig. 8 is a top view of the circular plateto which the feed-clamp is attached.

My invention consists in combining, with a machine provided with devicesfor making a button-hole stitch, a means for holding the material to beoperated on, and also a means of feeding the material alongautomatically, and with a variable speed, in manner and for the purposehereinafter specified; also, in the combination of the automaticvariable feed motion or mechanism with the guiding mechanism, arrangedand operating together as hereinafter set forth; also, in the peculiarconstruction of the feed-clamp for holding the material to be operatedon, in combination with the feeding and guiding mechanism, ashereinafter described; also, in the means or combination and arrangementof mechanism for eifecting the equable and increased feed motion ormovement of the cloth-carrier, and consequently producing the desiredlength of stitch; also, in the means or combination and arrangement ofmechanism, as hereinafter described, for imparting rotary or horizontalmotion to the feed-clamp or cloth-carrier; also, in the peculiarconstruction of the button-hole or irregular-shaped gear for impartingthe desired form to the button-hole.

In Fig. l of the drawing I have exhibited a properly-organized machinefor making a button-hole stitch. To such machine in the abstract I makeno claim. My invention is supplemental thereto, and relates principallyto the peculiar feeding mechanism I have added thereto.

In the said drawing, A denotes the baseplate or work-supporting stand ofthe machine, to which my invention is applied. Near the front end of thesaid plate, and within a cavity made through it, and between theneedie-carriers, a circular table, B, is disposed, the same being soapplied thereto as to be readily detached therefrom, as circumstancesmay require. Extending up from the said plate is a short projection orannular guide, a, around which the clamp or cloth-carrier is to revolveor travel. I) is a small pinion,which engages with the irregular orbutton-holeshaped gear, to be hereinafter described. The spindle of thesaid pinion, extending down through the table B, carries on its lowerend a beveled ratchet-wheel, 0.

O is the feed-clamp for carrying and holding the material in which thebutton-hole is to be made. This clamp or cloth-holder consists of twoplates of metal hinged together, and having a turn-button, d, whichoperates with a cam or incline in confining the plates together. Thesaid clamp I term the cloth-holding mechanism.

f is an irregular oblong slot made through the lower clamp-plate. Aroundthe said slot and on the under face of thelower clamp-plate,

an irregular oblong rack or gear, D, (somewhat resembling the shape of abutton-hole,) is disposed. This gear is of a novel and peculiar shape,both the peripheries of its outer and inner edges beingworking-surfaces, the teeth t of the gear working into those of thepinion I), and the inner edge a of the gear against the annular guide a.

In order to produce the eye or oval shape of the button-hole as made byhand, the perimeter and teeth of the gear 1) require apeculiarconstruction and arrangement-that is to say,

the said teeth are to be arranged on the arcs of four different circlesand two straight or parallel lines.

The portion at to form the eye of the button hole is an arc of a circleof greater radius than the opposite inner portion, a, while the portions12 p, intervening between the straight parts and the wider portions ofthe eye, are cut in arcs of circles whose centers are outside of thegear, and the teeth formed thereon, instead of standing parallel orradiating like the other portions of the gear, converge, the object ofthis peculiar construction of the gear or teeth on the parts p being toslightly change the direction of the cloth-carrier from an outer gearmovement to an inner one, in order that the stitches on thecorresponding parts of the button-hole may be properly and uniformlymade. Vere it not for this peculiar construction and arrangement of theteeth on the parts 191) the proper form would notbc given to thebutton-hole, and the stitches would be formed unevenly and too farapart, thereby not only destroying the symmetry and finish of thebutton-hole, but greatly impairing the wear thereof.

The width of the rim of the said gearD should correspond with thedistance between the guide b and the center of the teeth of the pinionI), in order that the gear in its movements may be maintained in contactwith the pinion.

The feed-clamp (l is so applied to the table B as to be capable of beingrotated or moved horizontally thereon and around the guide a.

D is a cap, which has a male screw cut on its shank, and which screwsdown into the hollow guide a, and thus secures the clamp to the table.This cap has a horn or button-hole spreader, (1, extending up from it,and an elongated slot, 0, made down through it for the needles to workthrough. It also has a cord-hole, f.

On the upper face of the table A an eccentric or cam groove, 9, is made,the same being to receive a stud, h, disposed on the under side of anarm, h, projecting from one end of the clamp, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2.The said stud and groove, with the guide a and the slot in the gear D,constitute what I term the guiding mechanism.

E is the driving-sh. ft of the machine, which is suitably supported inbearings. On the inner end of this shaft a cam, F, is arranged,

whieh operates upon the lower arm of a curved lever, G, which is pivotedto thehanger H, as seen Figs. 3 and l. The upper curved arm, 1", of thislever carries an adjustable dog or impelling-pawl, 41, which engageswith the beveled ratchet c disposed on the lower end of the spindle,which carries the pinion 1) before mentioned. This ratchet is disposedwithin a supporter or frame, I, attached to the under face of the plateA, as seen in Fig. 6, and is provided with a retaining-pawl or detent toprevent any backward movement of the ratchet.

It also has a friction-brake applied to its periphery to prevent anyundue forward movement.

H is a coiled spring, one end of which is attached to the under side ofthe table A and the other end to the outer extremity of the lever G, thesaid spring serving to restore the lever to its normal position afterbeing acted on by the cam F. This mechanism-via, the gear D, the pinionI), the ratchet c and pawl i, the lever G, and its spring H, with thecam F-- composes what lcall the feed motion or mechanism.

E is what I term the "shipper-lever, the same being pivoted to aprojection from the hanger H,and carries on its outer end the stud K,and on or near its inner end an adjustable stop, 8, which consists of atriangular prismatic block provided with shoulders 12 of differentlengths, these shoulders operating in conjunction with the'lever G indetermining the extent of backward motion of the lever under theretractile action of its spring, and consequently the back throw of thedog or im' pellingpawl 11 over the teeth of its ratchet d u 1'- ing theequable movement of the gear D or the feed-clamp.

w is a coiled spring, which serves to maintain the stop 8 in its properposition with respect to the lever G after such stop may have beenadjusted to allow the lever the required movement or throw to producethe requisite eqnable or lesser feed.

When an increased movement of the feed or gear becomes necessary to formthe eye portion of the button-hole, the stud K, automaticall y impinging against the cam H formed on the lower clamp-plate, throws. theshoulder a of the stop 8 out of action or contact with the lever G, andthus maintains it until the eye portion of the button-hole is completed,thus allowing the lever its full range of motion after having been actedon by the cam E, which, correspondingly acting upon the impelling-pawl,moves it backward and over a greater or the desired number of teeth, andconsequently forward a like distance, thus increasing the speed of theratchet, and of course that of the pinion and the gear andcloth-carrier, in a like ratio.

The mechanism last described-viz., the lever E, its stop .9, spring w,stud K, and the cam H combined with the gear D, pinion b, ratchet 0,impelling-pawl a, lever G, spring 11 and cam F--constitutes what I termthe variable feed motion or mechanism.

The operation of my invention is as follows: If we suppose a machine tobe organized for making a button-hole stitch and my mechanism appliedthereto, as described, we first place the piece of cloth or material inwhich the button-hole is to be made between the leaves or jaws of'theclamp and confine the parts together, the clamp being so placed as tocommence the making of button-hole at the inner end. By

imparting a rotary motion to the driving-shaft the cam F will berevolved, and, acting upon the lever G, carrying the impelling-pawl i,will actuate the said pawl and give to its ratchet an intermittentrotary motion. The said ratchet, being affixed to the spindle whichcarries the pinion b, will communicate a like motion to it, which, inturn, will impart the desired motion to the gear D, which will be fedforward equably, being guided in its movement by the guide a, the studh, and its groove g. After the first side of the buttonhole has beenmade by the needles the stud K, acting against the cam H will throw thestop 8 of the shipper-lever E out of action upon the lever G, and allowthe latter lever to have its full range of motion under the action ofits spring, which, acting upon the impellin gpawl, will impart acorresponding greater incremental motion or speed to the ratchet, which,in turn, acting upon the pinion, and the pinion upon the gear D, willgive a correspondingly-increased motion or speed to the said gear, and,of course, to the cloth or material while the eye of the button-hole isbeing made. As soon as the eye is finished the stud K or theshipper-lever E, relieved of the action of the cam H by the action ofthe spring 20, again throws the stop 8 into action upon the lever G,when the lesser or equable feed motion again takes place, and continuesuntil the button-hole is finished.

Having described myinvention, what I claim is as follows:

1. The combination, with an organized machine for making a button-holestitch, of the following elements-viz., a means of holding the cloth ormaterial while being operated on, and a means, as hereinbeforespecified, of feedin g the cloth or material along automatically,

and with a variable speed-the said elements being constructed, arranged,and made to operate together, and with the stitch-forming mechanism, asand for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the automatic variable feed motion or mechanismwith the guid-' ing mechanism, the whole being constructed, arranged,and made to operate together in manner and for the purpose set forth.

3. The feed-clamp, constructed substantially as described, for holdingthe cloth or material to be operated on, in combination with the feedingand guiding mechanism, constructed, arranged, and operating in mannerand for the purpose specified.

4. Themechanisin, substantially as described, for imparting rotary orhorizontal movements to the feed-clamp or cloth-carrier, the sameconsistin g of the gear D, the pinion b, the impelling-pawl and ratchet,the lever G and its spring, the cam F, and means of imparting rotationto the latter. 7

5. The means or mechanism, as described, for regulating the movement orrotation of the pinion b or the feed-clamp, in order to produce thelesser equable and uniform feed, the same consisting of the prismaticshouldered block or stop 8, or its equivalent, arranged upon the leverE, in combination with the lever G, the whole being combined andarranged together in manner as set forth.

6. The irregular gear D, having its teeth ar ranged in the arcs ofdiflerent circles, all as described and shown, and adapted to operate inconnection with the pinion b, as set forth.

CHAS. E. ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

F. P. HALE, OnAs. MOORE.

